Royale RP11 and RP11A car-by-car histories
Martin Feldmann's beautifully restored ex-Tom Pryce Royale RP11. Copyright Martin Feldmann 2019. Used with permission.
As Royale expanded rapidly in 1971 and 1972, the Formula 3 Royale RP11 was a development of the monocoque Formula Super Vee RP9. It was immediately successful in the hands of Tom Pryce, and six customer cars were sold during 1972.
The Formula 3 Royale RP11 produced towards the end of the 1971 season was the second of four new models designed for Royale by Mike Smith and Peter Bohanna. The first in the series had been the 1970 Royale RP9 Formula Super Vee, Royale's first monocoque design. It was followed by the Formula 3 RP11, Formula Atlantic RP12 and Formula Super Vee RP14, all of which were built around a steel monocoque produced for Royale by Arch Motors. The front suspension and overall dimensions of the designs were still based on the successful RP3 Formula Ford.
Works driver Tom Pryce quickly established that the RP11 was competitive, and won at Brands Hatch in March 1972. He then had a run of three accidents at Oulton Park, Mallory Park and Silverstone, before finally getting to the finish at Zandvoort. A worse accident befell the Royale at Monaco, where Pryce was standing next to his car trying to repair it during practice when it was hit by Peter Lamplough's Merlyn. The car was wrecked but Pryce was also badly hurt. When he recovered he moved into Formula Atlantic with the RP12.
Thanks to Pryce's successes, six customer RP11s were sold in 1972 in addition to a second works car, but Pryce's would prove the only win. The highly-rated Andy Sutcliffe took a second place in Reystan Racing's example in early 1973, and both Ian Ashley and Val Musetti managed third place finishes.
If you can add to our understanding of these cars, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
Tom Pryce in the brand new Royale RP11 at Brands Hatch in October 1971. Copyright Ted Walker 2026. Used with permission.
Works F3 car entered by D.J. Bond Engineering for Tom Pryce and for Bev Bond at several races very late in the 1971 British F3 season. Raced by Tom Pryce in 1972 but wrecked at Monaco, which left Pryce with a broken leg. A new car was built up for Pryce but this prototype was evidently rebuilt because David Betts (Huddersfield, West Yorkshire) replaced his Lotus 41C with the "ex-works Tom Pryce" RP11 for hillclimbs in late 1973 and in 1974. The car next appeared in June 1977 when Don Manley (Brighton, Sussex) bought the "ex-Tom Pryce Royale F3 car" that Delta Racing Services were converting to F4 specification. Rupert West (East Langton, Leicestershire) bought the car from Barry Barnes in 1977, but did not race it. After swapping the red bodywork on this car for the yellow two-piece body on a separate RP11 that he bought from Terry Mills, West then advertised the car as the "Royale RP11/1 ex-Pryce works car" in April 1979. This would be the car advertised by Bobby Howlings' AMCO in 1980. In May 1987, the prototype was with Michael Youles (Smallfield, Surrey) who had bought it from Paul Howarth and Rick Whyman at Saddleworth Garage. Youles had by then almost completed its restoration, with the intention of racing it in the BRSCC Libre Championship. It was sold to Georges Blatter (Switzerland) in 1988, then to Jurgen Schemel (Germany) in 1990. In October 2015, the car was sold to Martin Feldmann (Germany). Displayed at a Tom Pryce tribute at the Anglesey circuit in July 2019. This appears to be the same car raced by Christian Frenslich at Brno in May 2024.
Driven by: Tom Pryce, Bev Bond, Ian Ashley and David Betts. First race: Brands Hatch, 24 Oct 1971. Total of 15 recorded races.
New for Val Musetti (Twickenham, West London) and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973 until "written off" in an accident the week before the race at Oulton Park 20 April 1973. Musetti then took over the Reystan Racing Royale RP11A from Andy Sutcliffe, and future references to an ex-Musetti Royale would be to that car.
Driven by: Val Musetti. First race: Brands Hatch (R1), 5 Mar 1972. Total of 26 recorded races.
Ian Ashley in The Chequered Flag Royale RP11 at the Silverstone International Trophy in April 1972. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2026. Used with permission.
New to The Chequered Flag for Ian Ashley in British F3 in 1972. The team were a frequent non-arrival from July onwards, even when Brian McGuire replaced Ian Ashley as the nominated driver. Sold to John Sheldon (Surbiton, Surrey) for 1973 and raced in the British F3 series. Last seen at Mallory Park in August 1973. Bought from Sheldon by Ken Davies (Kittle, Swansea, South Wales) with two Vegantune twin cam engines, and used by him in the 1600cc class of hillclimbs and sprints in 1974. Then sold to Kaj Madsen (Denmark) for Jan K Pedersen to race in F3 in 1975 and 1976. At some point the car returned to England and was offered by Roger Orgee (Bristol) to Ken Davies, in case he wanted to buy it back. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Ian Ashley, John Sheldon, Ken Davies and Jan Pedersen. First race: Snetterton (R2), 26 Mar 1972. Total of 24 recorded races.
New to Josef Kremer and raced in German F3 in 1972 and 1973. When the formula changed to 2000cc in 1974, Kremer enlarged the Vegantune engine to 1785cc and continued to race it, albeit rarely, in 1974, 1975 and 1976. The car's history is then unknown until it was acquired by Martin Wood (Barnoldswick, Lancashire) in 2004. It was identified from the German Wagenpass still with the car. It was raced by Derek Buckton (Ripon, North Yorkshire) in HSCC Classic Formula 3 in 2011 and was on display at the NEC in January 2012, loaned by Buckton. Raced by James Buckton in HSCC Classic Formula 3 in 2012.
Driven by: Josef Kremer. First race: Sembach, 30 Apr 1972. Total of 18 recorded races.
New to Simon Sherman (London) and raced in British F3 in 1972. Retained for 1973, but did not start many races. At Mallory Park in April 1974, Sherman entered the car again in the now 2000cc F3 in 1974 but still with its 1600cc engine. He was slowest of all in practice and his race ended with engine failure. Four months later, Sherman and his friend and mechanic John Chubb, a London garage owner, were both entered in the car at Silverstone, Sherman in the F3 race and Chubb in a libre race. Neither appears to have taken part. The engine in the car for Chubb's race was given as 1600cc, suggesting they were still using the original Vegantune engines. Chubb was entered for two more races later in 1974, both at Thruxton, but it is unclear whether he took part. Sherman advertised the car in Autosport in November 1974 from an 01-629 number as a RP11A with Vegantune engine and ready to race. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Simon Sherman and John Chubb. First race: Thruxton (R8), 27 Aug 1972. Total of 16 recorded races.
New factory car for Tom Pryce to drive, replacing the one wrecked at the 1972 Monaco GP F3 race. To Reystan Racing for 1973 for Andy Sutcliffe to drive, but Sutcliffe left the team in April, and his seat was taken over by Val Musetti, who had written off his own RP11 in testing. Raced by Musetti through to the end of the season. Converted to Formula Atlantic specification for 1974 with Wood and Nicholson BDA engines and raced by Musetti in the British championship up to May. Sold later in the year to Mike Franey (London) and raced in libre racing with a Nicholson BDA. Raced by Franey in a couple of British Formula Atlantic races in early 1975 with a Gray BDA. He then acquired a much newer Chevron B27 and the subsequent history of the Royale is unknown.
Driven by: Tom Pryce, Andy Sutcliffe, Val Musetti and Mike Franey. First race: Brands Hatch (R7), 25 Jun 1972. Total of 34 recorded races.
Invoiced to Basilwood Ltd but identified as the car raced by Lee Kaye in British F3 in 1972. Raced by Chris Pryer at Thruxton at the end of October but hit the bank at Village on the first lap in the rain. Not seen again.
Driven by: Lee Kaye and Chris Pryer. First race: Oulton Park (R10), 26 Aug 1972. Total of 6 recorded races.
New to Martyn Howse and raced in British F3 from August 1972 onwards. Howse had previously raced in Formula 4 in a Vixen VB4. Retained for 1973 but crashed at Brands Hatch at the start of the season and not seen again until Castle Combe in August where he did not start. He continued into 1974, when the engine capacity for F3 had increased to 2000cc by enlarging his Vegantune engine to 1850cc. He appeared in libre at Llandow that year and in a couple of F3 races in August 1974 but did not finish either. This is likely to be the "Royale RP11/A F3" advertised by ex-Cooper, ex-McLaren, ex-Brabham mechanic Mike Barney's Alta Car & Engineering Co (Epsom, Surrey) from September to November 1974, which was said to have had "very little use" with "only 2 races since major overhaul". Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Martyn Howse. First race: Oulton Park (R10), 26 Aug 1972. Total of 8 recorded races.
New to Huub Vermeulen for European Formula 3 in 1973, using Vegantune engines. Vermeulen had been very successful in Formula Super Vee using a Royale RP9. He ordered the car in February 1973, and it was to be entered by the Dutch National Racing Team. Vermeulen moved into saloon car racing in 1974, sharing a BMW CSL with Rob Slotemaker, and the subsequent history of the Royale is unknown. The Royale Registry lists this car as being owned by Bert de Winter in Holland, implying it never returned to the UK in period.
Driven by: Huub Vermeulen. First race: Nürburgring, 1 Apr 1973. Total of 5 recorded races.
1972
Seven RP11s were built in 1972, to be added to the prototype built in 1971. Chassis RP11/1 remained with the D.J. Bond Engineering factory team for Tom Pryce to drive in 1972; RP11/2 was new to Val Musetti; RP11/3 was new to The Chequered Flag for Ian Ashley to drive; RP11/4 was new to Josef Kremer in Germany; RP11/5 was new to Simon Sherman; RP11/6 was a new car for Pryce mid-season; RP11/7 was new to Basilwood Ltd for Lee Kaye to drive; and RP11/8 was new to Martyn Howse.
1973
A new car was built for 1973 to an updated RP11A specification, given the chassis number RP11A/1, and sold to Dutchman Huub Vermeulen. The late-season works chassis RP11/6 was also updated to RP11A specification. Of the eight 1971-72 Royale RP11s: the ex-Pryce RP11/1 was repaired and went to David Betts for 1973; Val Musetti retained his RP11/2 until it was wrecked in April 1973; The Chequered Flag's ex-Ian Ashley RP11/3 went to John Sheldon for 1973; Josef Kremer retained RP11/4 in Germany; Simon Sherman retained RP11/5; RP11/6 went to Reystan Racing for 1973 for Andy Sutcliffe to drive in 1973; RP11/7 was not seen again after Chris Pryer crashed in October 1972; and Martyn Howse retained RP11/8.
1974
The capacity limit for Formula 3 changed to 2000cc for 1974, but Ford twin cam engines remained a popular option so three RP11s continued in F3 with new or stretched engines. Another was fitted with a Ford BDA engine for Formula Atlantic and the other two survivors kept their 1600cc Vegantune engines for British hillclimbs.
After the accidents to RP11/2 and RP11/7, David Betts retained his ex-Pryce RP11/1 for hillclimbs; John Sheldon's ex-Ian Ashley RP11/3 went to Ken Davies in South Wales also for hillclimbs; Josef Kremer retained RP11/4 for F3 in Germany; Simon Sherman retained RP11/5 for a few F3 races in 1974 after which his mechanic John Chubb briefly used it; RP11/6 was converted to Formula Atlantic for Val Musetti to drive in 1974; and Martyn Howse retained RP11/8 for a couple of F3 races in 1974. So all the RP11s can be traced into 1974. However, the RP11A/1 of Huub Vermeulen cannot be tracked after 1973.
1975
Of the six surviving RP11s going into 1975, Ken Davies retained his ex-Ian Ashley RP11/3 in South Wales, Josef Kremer retained RP11/4 in Germany; and Val Musetti's RP11/6 went to Mike Franey for Formula Atlantic in 1975; but David Betts' RP11/1, Simon Sherman's RP11/5 and Martyn Howse's RP11/8 were not seen in 1975. So three RP11s were missing in 1975, joining the ex-Huub Vermeulen RP11A/1 last seen in 1973.
Partly explaining these four missing cars are two unidentified RP11s in 1975: one driven by Mike Wrigley in F3 early in the season, and one driven by Les Edmunds in sprints still with its Vegantune twin cam. Wrigley recalls his car having come from libre and hillclimbs, so Betts' hillclimb car is a possibility. However, so are Sherman's RP11/5 or Howse's RP11/8. As he entered it as a RP11, not a RP11A, it is unlikely he had acquired Vermeulen's newer and little-used RP11A/1. Edmunds' car cannot have been Betts', as Edmunds' car overlaps with the later history of the ex-Betts car. So that again leaves Sherman's RP11/5 or Howse's RP11/8, with an outside chance of it being the ex-Vermeulen RP11A/1.
Mike Wrigley (Ashbourne, Derbyshire) made a few appearances in a Royale RP11 in Formula 3 in 1975, using Norvic and Novamotor engines, before changing his focus to Formula Ford for the rest of the season. When quizzed by the author in 2015, Mike could not remember who he bought it from, but recalled that it had been used in hillclimb and libre and he bought it without an engine. He fitted it with a development engine acquired from Norvic.
Driven by: Mike Wrigley. First race: Thruxton, 2 Mar 1975. Total of 4 recorded races.
Les Edmunds (Biggleswade, Bedfordshire) raced a Royale RP11A with 1598cc Vegantune engine in sprints in 1975. He retained the car for 1976, when it was billed as an RP11X and had a 1558cc Ford engine. Raced again by Edmunds in sprints in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Les Edmunds. First race: Duxford, 13 Apr 1975. Total of 7 recorded races.
In April 1979, fish and chip shop proprietor Terry Mills (Stonehouse, Gloucestershire) raced a Royale RP11 in a Formule Libre race at Castle Combe. However, Mills bought the Revoray instead for Monoposto racing, and the Royale went to Rupert West (East Langton, Leicestershire). West specifically recalls buying the Royale from Mills, and it was additionally identified by having a Ford/Allnutt engine, Pete Allnutt being Mills' regular mechanic. This was West's second RP11, having advertised the ex-Pryce car that same month. To confuse future historians, he swapped the red one-piece bodywork on the ex-Pryce car for the yellow two-piece body on the ex-Mills car, which he understands to have been ex-Ashley. West raced the car in Monoposto Formula and Formule Libre that season. In the summer of 1979, he crashed the car at Donington Park, and it required a new monocoque. The donor was a Royale Formula Super Vee car, presumably an RP14, and the front of the FSV monocoque was welded to the rear of the F3 car. When West stopped racing, he retained the Royale for some years, before selling it to racing car dealer Richard Parkin (Manton, Leicestershire). Parkin's recollection is that he acquired it in the late 1980s, and sold it probably in the early 1990s. It went to a French racing car dealer who was visiting the UK. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Terry Mills and Rupert West. First race: Castle Combe, 16 Apr 1979. Total of 5 recorded races.
Acknowledgements
The primary source for this page was 'Nowhere to hide: The story of Royale Racing Cars' by Paul Lawrence (tfm Publishing Limited, 2001). Additional details are from the Royale Register (https://royaleracingllc.com/RRC_Registry.htm).
Thanks also to Chris Townsend for his additions to the jigsaw, Mike Wrigley for his recollections of his RP11, Marcus Pye for extending the history of RP11/3 through Ken Davies's hands to Denmark, John Fox of the Formula One Register for his work on the puzzle of Terry Mills' RP11, and finally to researcher and author Jon Saltinstall for locating and quizzing Rupert West.
If you can add to our understanding of these cars, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
These histories were last updated on .